Australian Deputy Ambassador to the US comments on the possibility of AUKUS expanding its partnership

AUKUS was established in 2021 to counter China's growing power. There has been some hesitation about Japan joining.

Tổng thống Mỹ Joe Biden, Thủ tướng Australia Anthony Albanese và Thủ tướng Anh Rishi Sunak phát biểu về quan hệ đối tác AUKUS, sau cuộc gặp ba bên, tại Căn cứ hải quân Point Loma ở San Diego, California, Mỹ, ngày 13/3/2023. (Nguồn: Reuters)

US President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speak about the AUKUS partnership, after a trilateral meeting, at Point Loma Naval Base in San Diego, California, US, March 13, 2023. (Source: Reuters)

On June 28, speaking at an event hosted by the Atlantic Council think tank in Washington, Mr. Paul Myler, Deputy Ambassador of Australia to the US, said that adding partners to the AUKUS defense project would be “complicated” and he did not believe the US Congress would be willing to expand this treaty (including Australia, the US and the UK).

AUKUS was established in 2021 to counter China's growing power.

The first “pillar” of AUKUS involves cooperation between three partners Australia, the US and the UK to provide Canberra with nuclear-powered submarines, but also leaves open the possibility that other countries will join the second pillar to develop other high-tech weapons.

Mr. Paul Myler said it was an "almost extraordinary" achievement because after 40 years of efforts to reform US export control restrictions, the partners were close to creating an environment for easier cooperation and mutual development.

“Adding partners to that process is complicated,” the diplomat said, noting that the three AUKUS partners have committed to discussing possible cooperation with Japan and that the Northeast Asian country has shown political will to deploy defense capabilities in a timely manner.

“So… there is a fundamental connection there… I don’t think the US Congress would see AUKUS as being open to expansion, but AUKUS partners can certainly reach out and engage with AUKUS,” the Australian Deputy Ambassador stressed.

AUKUS still has to overcome many hurdles due to Washington's strict restrictions on technology sharing, and Canberra and London are concerned it could become bogged down if new members are added too quickly.

There has been some hesitation about Japan joining, with officials and experts highlighting the country's cyber and information security “vulnerabilities”.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/pho-dai-su-australia-tai-my-nhan-dinh-ve-kha-nang-aukus-mo-rong-doi-tac-276809.html